On the Sea
by Dakk Tribal
Summary: Cecil ponders the future and it causes him to wonder...and Rosa offers words of encouragement.


Sailing the silent ocean blue, the Nautilus drifted quietly across the water, and while it was late at night there was only one person on the main deck at such a late hour.

Recently christened Paladin and former Captain of the Redwings Cecil Harvey found himself staring out at the water. The reflections of the two moons were like a mirror reflecting the sky and it helped him relax.

The ship was big enough to house three cabins and a storage deck down below. One cabin belonged to the captain, the other two were supposed to be vacant as it was part of the deal Cecil had made with the captain when they had set sail that he and his colleagues would be in the deck below until the end of the voyage. However, Cecil had requested that Rydia and Rosa would be housed in one of the two vacant cabins, which was granted. His comrades included a Dragoon and his close friend Kain, the young woman summoner Rydia, the ninja named Edge, and finally Rosa, who Cecil had made sure, was asleep before he came up on deck. He didn't want to worry her anymore than he probably already had earlier.

The venture to find and defeat Golbez was hardly a cake walk, but Cecil was sure it would be won. Though a Captain no more, or even a knight in service to a king, he still believed in the power to do the right thing. Such conviction from the former Dark Knight would have been unheard of only a few days ago when he had donned the armor and did such things no man of light should have done had he not been deceived.

"Those days are over now. All that matters is finding Golbez."

The ship was taking him and his comrades to another port across the water, which would hopefully lead them to more clues as to Golbez's whereabouts. So far their search had turned up nothing, and Golbez had seemed more out of reach than ever. That is until Edge had heard a rumor about a sorcerer clad in black armor was heading across the water in a nearby village. Thus Cecil and the others rented a ship and set sail.

Though the dark armor which had haunted Cecil for so many years was very much long gone and his Paladin armor was filling him with light, Cecil was still unable to shake the feeling that when he did confront Golbez again, there was a chance that something terrible would happen.

"Unable to sleep Cecil?"

Turning his head slightly though he knew who was addressing him, Cecil saw Rosa walking towards him. She had her arms across her chest, and she appeared to be cold which wasn't a surprise in the fact she wasn't wearing her White Mage robes.

"Rosa, what are you doing up here at this hour," he said as he went over to meet her, "Never mind that, but you should wear something warm or else you'll fall ill." Taking the scarf from around his neck, which happened to be the only cloth he had on himself at the moment besides his armor, he took it and gave it to Rosa.

"Ever the kind man Cecil, but I wanted to know where you were, as you weren't around when I went to check up on you," she replied softly as she wrapped the scarf around her shoulders.

"It's nothing...nothing to worry about," was his reply, though this was very true indeed. A small feeling of dread but it was nothing more than that.

However, Rosa knew him far too well to take a simple as that for fact. "Is Golbez still worrying you?"

"I thought we'd be put an end to his schemes by now, but I suppose that he is far stronger than even I give him credit," Cecil said, finally noticing that Rosa was shivering. "Right now, we better get you back inside. The cold is dreadful tonight."

Rosa didn't complain, but instead she grabbed Cecil's hand and they walked side by side back towards the cabin. Even with his armor covering the majority of his arm, he shivered slightly as Rosa leaned against him. She was very cold.

Opening the door to the cabin, Cecil led Rosa inside. Though he had originally thought to lure her to her warm bed, Cecil instead found himself being led to the fireplace. She took a seat on the floor and were it not for her gently pulling on his hand Cecil would have said good night and left. He took a seat next to her, never more than a few inches from him.

The fire was bright and very warm, and Rosa reached out slightly to warm her hands. Cecil's armor was ice cold before and he shivered as the fire began to warm his body as well. It was quite comforting to both of them.

"Rosa…"

"Cecil, if you can't sleep then I'll simply stay with you until you do." She spoke softly, but in a tone that meant every word she said.

Cecil didn't object, not just because he knew that she was serious, but the fact that he was with Rosa he felt he could sleep forever. He wrapped his arms around her waist, resting comfortably as Rosa began to rock slowly back and forth in a silent tune that only she knew but it led Cecil along to slumber.

He could stay like this for eternity, being in Rosa's warmth.


End file.
